IJSRD - International Journal for Scientific Research & Development| Vol.
1, Issue 10, 2013 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613
The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical
Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
Piyush R. Patel 1 Tarunkumar P. Modi 2 Anil Sharma 3
1,2 3
M.Tech.(Power System) Assistant Professor
1
Scope College Of Engg. Bhopal, India 2Rajiv Gandhi Praudhyogiki Vidhyalaya, Bhopal, India
3
SVBIT, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Abstract— the present paper focuses on FACTS (Flexible
Alternating Current Transmission System) and HVDC
(High Voltage Direct Current) transmission technologies,
Particular attention is paid to different specific technical,
economic and environmental features of these power
electronics-based devices. Final aim of the paper is the
investigation of the role that FACTS and HVDC may play
towards the development of the future Indian transmission
system.
Key words: Cost-benefit analysis, Indian System, FACTS,
HVDC, Transmission Planning.
I. INTRODUCTION
In the Indian Union (IU) issues Consulting security of
energy supply, electricity market restructuring and
increasing environmental obelized represent key drivers for
new trends which may have significant impact on the design
and the operation of the electric power system. This is
particularly true for the Indian electricity grids, which are on
the critical path to meet the IU’s climate change and energy
policy objectives for 2020 and beyond.
Concerning the Indian transmission network, the
challenge will be the integrating of very large amount of
variable renewable energy sources (RES), especially wind
and solar, into the power system to this scope a more
flexible transmission grid would be then needed. Moreover
the present energy market liberalization process in India is
leading to the steady rise of inter-area power exchanges,
generally increasing the transmission network congestion
traditionally the solution of enhancing the power
transmission capacity, realized by adding new HVAC
infrastructures, is nowadays seriously hampered by
economic social & environmental constraints. Thus the need
for evolution energies in India. In order to support such a
process, a crucial role may be played by advanced power
transmission devices like FACTS &HVDC technology.
Recently the focuses on the power electronics
based equipment which offers the changes to increase
transmission network capacity and flexibility and generally
enhance system reliability. The FACTS & HVDC elements
can efficiently avoid or relieve network constraints and this
can reduce need for building new HVDC lines with
consequent environmental and economic benefits.
Moreover, the deployment of FACTS & HVDC
can allow a further, smoother integration of variable RES
power plants into India power station. FACTS & HVDC
elements may provide Indian Ruler Electrification
Corporation limited.
This paper, which results from the ongoing
activities within the Indian research project named
REALISEGRID is structured as in the following section 2
provides a short overview of transmission expansion
planning processes. Section 3 & Section 4 respectively deal
with the main technical, economic & environmental features
of FACTS & HVDC, which can supports for transmission
planners in their decision-making to select the soundest
expansion & section 5 focuses on the development of the
future pan-India transmission system. Particular attention is
paid to the northern, eastern & southern edges of the
INTSO-E system as well as the continental network up to
2030.
II. OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSMISSION PLANNING
PROCESS
Transmission network planning is a very complex process
and recent trends and challenges make it even more
complicated. In the past, before the electricity market
liberalization, in a centrally managed power system the
system operator could in general control the whole power
system: the transmission network was then expanded with
the aim to minimize both generation and transmission costs,
while meeting static and dynamic technical constraints to
ensure a secure and economically efficient operation.
Nowadays, in a liberalized environment, the TSO,
responsible for the sole transmission, shall plan the
expansion of its network by minimizing transmission costs
(investment and operation), overcome bottlenecks and
pursuing maximum social welfare, when requested by
specific regulation, while meeting static and dynamic
technical constraints to ensure a secure and economically
efficient operation. Moreover, the penetration of variable
Renewable Energy Sources (RES) brings additional
uncertainties posing further challenges to transmission
planners: they have in fact to reliably integrate variable RES
power plants into the grids and cope with rapid and less
predictable flows changes so as to preserve an adequate
level of security for the system. Socio-environmental
constraints must also more and more be duly taken into
account in the planning process [2], [3], [6]. The basic tasks
of transmission grid planners can be summarized as in the
following: to forecast the power and energy flows on the
transmission network, drawing upon a set of scenarios of
generation/demand evolution for the targeted period, within
the market and regulatory framework; to check whether or
not acceptable technical limits might be exceeded within the
unchanged network, in standard conditions as well as in case
of loss of system components (security analysis); to devise,
in presence of criticalities, a set of possible transmission
reinforcements/strategies that overcome the constraints and
to select the one(s) having the best cost benefit performance
[2]. Central element of the transmission planning process is
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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
the cost-benefit analysis of the different transmission
reinforcement options. It is then crucial to quantitatively
assess the possible benefits provided by transmission
expansion: this task, especially in a liberalized power
system, generally represents a rather complex stage as the
evaluation strongly depends on the viewpoint taken for each
considered benefit [3]. In this respect, planning the
transmission expansion by taking into consideration the
options of applying advanced technologies, like FACTS and
HVDC, needs to undergo a detailed screening of the benefits
and costs related to the utilization of these technologies.
III. MAIN FACTS FEATURES
A. Technical Aspects
An abundant technical and scientific literature is available
on FACTS (Flexible Alternating Current Transmission
System) devices (see [11], [12] among others). These power
electronics-based transmission technologies give the
possibility to fast control one or more of the interdependent
parameters that influence the operation of transmission
networks. These parameters include e.g. the line series
impedance, the nodal voltage amplitude, the nodal voltage
angular difference, the shunt impedance, and the line
current. The design of the different schemes and
configurations of FACTS devices is based on the
combination of traditional power system components (such
as transformers, reactors, switches, and capacitors) with
power electronics elements (such as various types of
transistors and thyristor). The development of FACTS
controllers is strictly related to the progress made by the
power electronics. Over the last years, the current rating of
thyristor has evolved into higher nominal values making
power electronics capable of high power applications (up to
thousands of MW). FACTS devices, thanks to their speed
and flexibility, are able to provide the transmission system
with several advantages such as: transmission capacity
enhancement, power flow control, transient stability
improvement, power oscillation damping, voltage stability
and control. Depending on the type and rating of the
selected device and on the specific voltage level and local
network conditions, a transmission capacity enhancement of
up to 40-50% may be achieved by installing a FACTS
element [4]. In comparison to traditional mechanically-
driven devices, FACTS controllers are also not subject to
wear and require a lower maintenance. In general, FACTS
devices can be traditionally classified according to their
connection, as:
1) Shunt controllers. Among the shunt controllers the
main devices are the Static VAR Compensator (SVC)
and the Static Synchronous Compensator
(STATCOM);
2) Series controllers. This category includes devices like
the Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC) and
the Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC);
3) Combined controllers. Elements such as the Thyristor
Controlled Phase Shifting Transformer (TCPST), the
Interline Power Flow Controller (IPFC), the Dynamic
Flow Controller (DFC) and the Unified Power Flow
Controller (UPFC) belong to this third category of
FACTS. The TCPST type includes the two subtypes of
the Thyristor Controlled Quadrature Boosting
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)
Transformer (TCQBT) and the Thyristor Controlled
Phase Angle Regulator (TCPAR).
FACTS devices can be also classified according to
the power electronics technology used for the converters as:
1) Thyristor-based controllers. This category includes the
FACTS devices based on thyristor, namely the SVC,
the TCSC, the TCPST and the DFC;
2) Voltage source-based controllers. These devices are
based on more advanced technology like Gate Turn-
Off (GTO) thyristor, Integrated Gate Commutated
Thyristor (IGCT) and Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistors (IGBT). This group includes the
STATCOM, the SSSC, the IPFC and the UPFC. The
voltage source-based devices are the most advanced
ones of the FACTS family, offering the possibility for
a smoother, faster control of active and/or reactive
power flow and/or nodal voltage amplitude
independently of the current. The most complete and
versatile (and costly) FACTS device is the UPFC, able
to independently and simultaneously control active
power flow, reactive power flow and nodal voltage
magnitude. The UPFC has been so far applied only in
four installations worldwide (one in the Europe: two in
the United States, one in South Korea), while the most
widespread FACTS is the SVC, mostly suitable for
voltage control, reactive compensation and oscillation
damping.
In India the ―Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd‖
is planning to install SVC in our system for that they also
called a meeting with manufactures. They still have state of
the art SVC & TCSCs installed in Indian grid system. But
further endeavor is to develop them indigenously. While
other SVC installations are planned or under study in some
other European countries. The most recent SVC device in
Europe has been installed in Finland. Another promising
FACTS element is the TCSC, which can provide different
benefits including dynamic stability and power flow control
by regulating the series impedance. TCSC devices are also
more frequently used worldwide (recent applications are in
Brazil, China, and India), whereas in Europe only one
installation has been recorded, namely in Sweden. An
already increasingly deployed FACTS device is the
STATCOM, which can provide a fast control of voltage and
reactive power and can therefore be very useful for wind
power plants integration.
The drawbacks of the FACTS technology so far are
represented by its complexity and, mostly, by its costs,
which are higher than those ones of mechanical devices.
This factor has slowed a more widespread insertion of
FACTS devices in transmission systems. However, since all
FACTS controllers are applications of similar technology,
their deployment can benefit from economies of scale linked
with volume production. The cost of these devices is
decreasing as development of high-power electronics
improves, also bringing increased savings due to economy
of scale [4]. Moreover, the increasing awareness of system
operators with respect to potential benefits of FACTS may
also contribute to the future further deployment of these
technologies. Table 1 provides an outlook of the main
features of the most promising FACTS devices.
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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)

Device SVC STATCOM TCSC SSSC TCPST DFC1 IPFC UPFC manufacturing usually reduce costs (e.g. for power
Description electronics components). As of today, there are only few
Device 100-
100-400 25-600 100-400 50/150 (2) - 200 100-325
FACTS projects implemented worldwide that deploy turn-
ratings 850 off based power electronics (like STATCOM, SSSC, and
(MVA/MV UPFC). This makes it difficult to perform a comparable and
AR)
reliable cost detail analysis since there are not enough cost
Future
device Furthe figures to form a representative average value. Furthermore,
Higher Further
r manufacturers are reluctant to provide or publish cost
Trend figures. Taking all these factors into account, typical cost
Deplo
ratings deployment
yment ranges of selected FACTS devices are reported in Table 2. It
is assumed that the proposed investment costs ranges
Operational >30 >15 Pilot
years
>20 years
years
Pilot Pilot No Pilot presented in the following sections include costs for
>10 equipment, project engineering and installation. In addition,
experience
years
operation and maintenance costs have to be considered [4].
40 30 30
Lifetime (1) 30 years 30 years 30 years - 30 years Voltage Available Cost Range
years years years
Level Power Rating
Converter
Compone
losses 1- 0.5- (kV) (MVAR/MVA) Min Max Unit
1-2.5% - - - 2-3% nts
(full load, 1.5% 1%
kEUR/M
per SVC 400 100-850 30 50
VAR
converter) STATCO kEUR/M
400 100-400 50 75
Availability > 98% > 98% > 98% - - - - - M VAR
kEUR/M
Device TCSC 400 25-600 35 50
VAR
capabilities kEUR/M
SSSC 400 100-400 50 80
VAR
Transmissio kEUR/M
UPFC 400 100-325 90 130
n VA
Table. 2: Investment cost ranges for FACTS
capacity
The values presented in Table 2 refer to the base
Power flow case, wherein the installation of this equipment’s over flat
land and in sparsely populated areas is considered. The
control
lower limit (min value) refers to countries with low labor
Transient costs and the upper limit (max value) concerns countries
stability with higher labor costs. Due to additional infrastructure
Voltage costs the presented values should be increased by 50% when
stability addressing installation costs in mountains and densely
Power populated areas. For hilly conditions this increase should be
oscillation
of 20%.
damping The infrastructure costs are due mainly to the local
configuration of the substation where the FACTS device
Control of
wind shall be installed, and in particular to:
Yes Yes No No no No no yes
farms 1) Need to purchase additional land, if the space available
reactive
is not sufficient;
power
output 2) Possible changes in the layout of the existing
Investment
substation, if necessary for variations on connections,
(2)
/ - on the auxiliary, or interventions on protective devices
costs
— Small; — Medium;— Strong; estimated values, not enough
(1) and manoeuvre;
experience yet; (2) TCQBT and TCPAR respectively 3) Civil works (building construction, foundations, drains,
Table. 1: Key features of selected FACTS technologies fences, etc.).
B. Economic Aspects In terms of operational costs, one can consider two
In order to plan the expansion of transmission system, and issues: maintenance and losses.
particularly to assess the feasibility of installing advanced Concerning maintenance, FACTS controllers, in
technologies, it is a key issue to have a clear picture not only comparison to mechanical devices (such as transformer tap
of the benefits provided by each specific device, but most changers, shunt capacitor switches, which have controlled
crucially of the related costs. Capital expenditures for the AC power system so far) are not subject to mechanical
transmission systems are highly dependent on different wear, having subsequently a very reduced need for
parameters, such as technological parameters (power rating, maintenance: the figures in the available literature range
operating voltage, etc.), local environmental constraints and between 2-3 man days up to hundreds man hour per year.
geographical characteristics as well as material and
manpower costs. In general, environmental constraints In terms of device losses, FACTS controllers
increase costs and implementation time - e.g. for overhead present values that range from 1-3%, depending on
lines (OHL) - while technological advances in the type and manufacturer of the device.

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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)

Concerning durability, the FACTS devices with HVDC traditional features, may lead to a further
manufactured nowadays have a life expectancy between 30 deployment of this technology to improve system
and 40 years, depending on the device and its respective operation and support the development of onshore and,
manufacturer [4]. possibly, offshore Indian transmission grids. This is the
case of the very promising self- commutated (or
C. Environmental aspects
commutating) Voltage Source Converter (VSC)-based
FACTS devices have an environmental impact in terms of HVDC, which represents the state-of-the-art technology
increased surface occupation in the substations. for connection of offshore wind farms and for multi-
The usual range of surface occupation (or land use) terminal applications. The key advantages of VSC- HVDC
due to the installation of FACTS devices lies between 3 and with respect to the line-commutated Current Source
20 m2 per MVAR (see Table 3), depending on the type of Converter (CSC)-based HVDC (the classic HVDC) are that
device, the power rating and whether the device is it gives the possibility to feed reactive power into a network
relocatable (prepared to be moved to a different location) node and provide a smoother voltage support [4], [5], [13].
[4]. Table 4 summarizes the main features of CSC-HVDC and
VSC-HVDC.
Device Surface
SVC occupation
5-20 m2/MVAR System description CSC- VSC-
STATCOM 3-5 m2/MVAR System ratings in HVDC
±800 HVDC
±150
TCSC 3-10 m2/MVAR operation kV, 3000 kV, 350
UPFC 3-20 m2/MVA System ratings MW
±800 MW
±300
Table. 3: Surface occupation of selected FACTS devices available kV, 6400 kV, 1100
If the device is relocatable, it usually takes 3 to 6 Future trend of system MW higherMW
towards ratings
months to move it from one location to another. Some other Operational
ratings > 50 ~ 10
aspects need or can also be evaluated, such as the potential experience
Lifetime years
30-40 years
30-40
increased noise, or the electromagnetic interference (EMI) Converter losses (at 0.5-1%
years 1-2%
years( 1)
emissions. Furthermore, as stated before, FACTS controllers full load, per converter)
Availability (per > 98% > 98%
are not subject to mechanical wear, having here also an system)
impact in environmental terms, for instance, concerning a System capabilities
lower need of manufacturing spare parts and lower need of
Trans miss ion
traveling to perform the maintenance required [4].
Power capacity
flow control
IV. MAIN HVDC FEATURES Transient stability
Voltage stability
A. Technical Aspects Power oscillation
Based on the same basic power electronics components as Reactive
damping power
FACTS devices, the HVDC technology however demand
System perturbation
differs from FACTS controllers, which are installed in Reactive power no Yes
substations within the AC (Alternating Current) system. In Easy meshing no Yes
injection possible
fact, HVDC can be basically represented by the
Limitation in cable no No
combination of a DC (Direct Current) circuit with two
power electronics converters, each one at a link terminal, for line length
Ability to connect no Yes
AC/DC and DC/AC conversion. The DC circuit can consist offshore
Investmentwindcosts
farms
per
of a cable or a line (in a full HVDC scheme) or simply a MW
Legend: — Small; — Medium; — Strong;
capacitor (in a back-to-back HVDC scheme). The first
(1) estimated value, not enough experience yet
HVDC installations date back to 50ies; nowadays, HVDC
technologies are worldwide widespread and used counting Table. 4: Key features of HVDC technologies
on a long operational experience. In fact, this technology Modern HVDC transmission systems do not only
exhibits characteristics that have already made it widely allow for electrical power transmission from one area to
attractive over HVAC transmission for specific applications, another but also offer several technical advantages over
such as very long distance power transmission (several conventional HVAC transmission. These essential
hundreds to few thousands kilometers), long advantages are briefly described as follows [4], [13]:
submarine cable links and interconnection of
asynchronous systems, as well as bulky energy transport. 1) Practical absence of transmission line length limitation:
The most recent (and world record) example has concerned HVDC transmission systems offer the special
the installation of 800 kV, 6400 MW HVDC links in China. capability needed to carry out long submarine or
Thanks to its speed and flexibility, the HVDC technology is underground cable transmission lines with a low level
able to provide the transmission system with several of losses - differently from AC cable transmission -
advantages such as: transfer capacity enhancement, power without the need of reactive compensation. As there is
flow control, transient stability improvement, power no charging current in the DC cable, the transmission
oscillation damping, voltage stability and control, rejection distance is almost unlimited and losses are lower for
of cascading disturbances, absence of reactive power. long-distance transmission compared to those ones of
Currently, recent advances in power electronics, coupled AC cables in equal conditions.

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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)

2) Transmission capacity increase: For a given conductor technological, geographical, and/or environmental
cross section, HVDC transmission can transfer more circumstances apply.
current through a conductor compared to conventional Costs for HVDC overhead lines refer to the base
HVAC transmission. Accordingly, the conversion of case, wherein the installation of overhead lines over flat
transmission lines, formerly operated with HVAC, into landscape and in sparsely populated areas is considered. In
HVDC operated ones increases the transmission this base case, high towers with a large span length can be
capacity of the considered line. Such an increase in used which directly results in lower overall installation
transmission capacity could be very worthwhile in costs. Costs for installations over hilly and averagely
liberalized power systems, e.g. for cross-border trade. populated land as well as over mountains or densely
3) Ability of quick and bi-directional control of power populated areas are taken into account by a surcharge of
flow: Active power can be transmitted in both +20% and +50%, respectively.
directions and quickly reversed if needed. Also, the
amount of transmitted active power can be set to a Cost
fixed value that is maintained during all operating mirange
max
conditions, especially during the occurrence of faults in System
HVDC,OHL, Volt 350÷
±150÷ Po n kEUU
neighbouring network sections. This avoids the component
bipolar(1) age
±500 wer
3000 300 700 nit
R/km
overloading and the consecutive loss of the level
kV ratin
MW
transmission line. These features of HVDC can HVDC ±350 g
1100 100 kEU
improve the stability of the surrounding AC power 2500
underground kV MW 0 R/km
system or even of the total network.
cable
HVDC pair ±350 1100 100 kEU
4) No increase of short-circuit power at the connection 2000
points: HVDC lines can be integrated into a power grid undersea cable kV MW 0 R/km
without the need to upgrade downstream equipment, HVDC pairVSC ±150÷ 350÷ kEU
e.g. circuit breakers, transformers etc. In case of short- terminal, ±350 1000 60 125 R/M
circuit at one of the terminals of the HVDC bipolar kV MW W
transmission line, the converters can be switched off HVDC CSC ±350÷ 1000 kEU
within milliseconds preventing them from contributing terminal, ±500 ÷300 75 110 R/M
to the short-circuit current. bipolar kV 0 W
5) Interconnection of asynchronously operated power (1) Cost ranges correspond
systems: HVDC transmission lines can be used to
MW to the base case, i.e.
Installation over flat land. For installations over hilly
connect two asynchronously operated power grids in
landscape +20% and +50% for installations over
order to provide not only for active power exchange in
emergency situations but also for active power cross- mountains or urban areas have to be factored in.
Table. 5: Investment cost ranges for HVDC devices
border trade. This can either be carried out by a DC
link between two distantly located AC substations of The proposed investment cost ranges for HVDC
two different power grids or by a back-to-back (B2B) overhead lines include all costs related to the transmission
coupling inside one single AC substation. medium (i.e. equipment costs, engineering costs, installation
6) Environmental advantages: For the same costs). The cost ranges provided for HVDC converter
transmitted power, the required right-of-way of HVDC equipment are presented ―per terminal‖, wherein a terminal
transmission is much smaller than the one of includes all equipment at one side of the bipolar
HVAC transmission. Since there is no need for transmission line: both converters, reactive compensation (if
reactive compensation, the use of HVDC makes it needed), active filtering, AC/DC switchgear, engineering,
easier to go underground using cables as the project planning, taxes etc. except any costs related to the
transmission medium. In addition, electromagnetic transmission medium. This accommodates the facts that on
field emission is not pulsating and can be reduced to a the one hand a voltage source converter is by nature bipolar
minimum. Hence, the environmental impact is smaller and on the other hand that bipolar HVDC installations are
with HVDC transmission systems. preferred within a synchronized power grid for system
security reasons. In case of a bipolar transmission line, the
B. Economic Aspects provided converter cost ranges need to be multiplied by
Costs ranges for HVDC devices (for a throughput the factor of 2, i.e. One bipolar converter terminal at each
power ranging between 350 and 3000 MW for HVDC OHLs the feeding and the receiving end of the transmission line, in
and 1100 MW for HVDC cables) are reported in Table 5 order to yield the overall installation costs (excluding the
[4]. costs for the transmission line). Moreover, as an essential
The lower limit (min value) refers to installation part of HVDC- based transmission systems, the transmission
costs in European countries with low labor costs, while the medium itself plays an important role in costs saving and
upper limit (max value) refers to installation costs in Indian environmental fitting.
cities with high labor costs, e.g. Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, In a comparison of DC vs. AC, for the restriction of
etc. charging currents, the transmission distance of AC-operated
It shall be clearly pointed out that the displayed cables without reactive compensation is limited while DC-
cost ranges represent typical average values and shall not be operated cables are not subject to such a restriction. In
taken as absolute data. The actual overall project costs may addition, the absence of charging currents in DC-operated
differ from the provided average values if exceptional cables leads to lower operational losses and a longer

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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)

lifetime. Although the initial investment for an HVDC HVDC transmission provides clear environmental
converter station is higher than the one for an AC substation, advantage over HVAC OHL due to its ability to go
the investment costs of the overall DC transmission system underground by the use of HVDC cables. The use of cables
can be lower than those ones of the AC transmission system: minimizes the visual impact of the transmission line since
the cost savings in the transmission line and the absent need the surface area over the cable run can be re-naturalized
for reactive compensation can make up for the higher with e.g. bushes or shallow root trees, as long as the cable
HVDC station costs if a certain transmission distance is can be made accessible for maintenance or repair purposes
reached. Concerning maintenance of HVDC systems, it is at short notice. In case of overhead lines, the width of right-
comparable to the one of HVAC systems. The high voltage of-way can be significantly reduced by approximately 30 to
equipment in converter stations is comparable to the 50% when choosing HVDC instead of HVAC transmission
corresponding equipment in AC substations, and [4].
maintenance can be executed in the same way. Maintenance Furthermore, the electromagnetic field emission of
will focus on: AC and DC filters, smoothing reactors, wall HVDC lines is not pulsating and can be forced to a
bushings, valve-cooling equipment, valves. Normal routine minimum value in case a dedicated return conductor is used
maintenance is recommended by manufacturers to be about and the conductor arrangement is selected accordingly.
one week per year. The newer systems can even go for two The result is a significantly lower electromagnetic
years before requiring maintenance. In fact, in a bipolar pollution compared to the electromagnetic emissions by
system, one pole at a time is stopped during the time conventional HVAC transmission, especially when
required for the maintenance, and the other pole can overhead lines are used. However, it shall be stated
normally continue to operate and depending on the in-built clearly that today all HVAC overhead and cable lines
overload capacity it can take a part of the load of the pole comply with all legal requirements in terms of
under maintenance. In addition, preventive maintenance electromagnetic compatibility. The acoustic emission of
shall be pursued so that the plants and equipment HVDC stations has to be considered but can be reduced to
will achieve optimally balanced availability with regard to comply with the legal requirements by an indoor station
the costs of maintenance, operating disturbances and design.
planned outages [4].
C. Environmental aspects V. FACTS AND HVDC IN THE INDIAN SYSTEM
The environmental fitting of an electrical power A. Potential FACTS applications in India
transmission system is of increasing importance. Due to One of the key benefits provided by FACTS is the
political restrictions and public environmental awareness, possibility to relieve congestion constraints.
environmental considerations have become an important
part of approval procedures and project planning. In order to In case there is enough free transmission capacity
accommodate this circumstance, Table 6 reflects the land available, the shifting of active power to other lines inside
use for selected transmission system components. In case of the system by a FACTS device should be considered before
overhead lines the term land use refers to the surface area the construction of new lines: the scope is then to efficiently
occupied by the tower footing and the span, while in case of utilize the given network topology as well as to reduce the
cables this term quantifies the surface area over the economic expenditure and the environmental impact that
underground cable run. For both the span and the surface come along with a physical network expansion. A FACTS
area of the cable run, the usability is constricted after device suitable for efficient power flow shifting could be
construction of the line. For HVDC terminals and reactive installed in one of the substations of the overloaded
compensation the term land use refers to the area occupied transmission line.
by the facility buildings [4]. In cases where the congestion is
Land use discontinuous, the application of dynamic devices may be
advantageous since these devices are able to monitor the
min max
power flow on a transmission line and to limit this power
Syste
HVD Vol
±150.. Po
350.. 20000 40000 Unit
m2/k
flow to a permitted value when needed. For a congestion
m
C OHL, tage
±500 wer
3000 m that is associated with a relatively low degree of
compon
HVD
bipolar level
±350
kV ratin
1100
MW 5000 10000 m2/k
volatility, slow-switching devices (such as mechanical
ent
C kV MWg m devices) can be feasible while in case of a relatively high
undergr degree of volatility fast-adjusting devices (such as TCSC,
HVD
ound ±350 1100 0 m2/k SSSC, UPFC) present possible solutions [4].
C
cable kV MW m
HVD ±150.. 350.. 5000 10000 m2 In addition to transmission applications and the
underse
C VSC ±350 1000 benefits offered by FACTS for gridlock resolution and
a cable improved system controllability (see also Table 1), these
terminal
HVD kV
±350.. MW
1000 30000 60000 m2 technologies can be also beneficial when implemented for
,Cbipolar
CSC ±500 ..300 the connection of certain RES to the grid. In this case,
terminal kV 0 FACTS are especially advantageous when applied for wind
, bipolar MW generator connections. Due to the nature of the source of
wind power, a continuous and steady supply from a wind
Table. 6: Surface occupation for HVDC devices (average) generation unit or wind farm is difficult to achieve. As such,
the inherently unsteady nature of this type of generation

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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
source requires measures of stability and control on the
power transmission system. In addition, due to issues
associated with voltage control, as well as real and reactive
power dispatching, measures must be established for power
system operators in order to adjust to wind generation
output as base load, peak load, or other dispatching
criteria.
As wind farms become a larger part of the total
generation base and as the penetration levels increase, issues
related to integration, such as transients, stability, and
voltage control, are becoming more and more important.
Moreover, due to the stochastic nature of wind, the
integration of such renewable sources of generation in
to the transmission system significantly differs from the one
related to conventional types of generation. For wind
generation applications, FACTS can be implemented for
voltage control in the form of SVC or STATCOM
configurations. In addition to voltage support and control,
there are also benefits that can be realized by allowing
generating units to increase real power output by relieving
the reactive power requirements through the application of
these dynamic compensation technologies. By implementing
FACTS technologies in coordination with wind (and other
RES) generation applications, a reliable, steady, and secure
connection to the power transmission grid is ensured. In
addition, maximum output of wind capacity and efficient
operation of wind generating units are realized through
interconnection with FACTS controllers [4].
In case of offshore wind connection via HVAC
submarine cable transmission and depending on the line
length, reactive compensation at both ends of the cable has
to be considered. As an approximate value, a cable with a
line length of more than 40 km needs reactive compensation
(about 1.5-2.5 MVAR/km): this naturally has to be taken
into account in the cost-benefit analysis.
An option could also be given by the utilization of
FACTS like SVC or STATCOM in combination with
HVAC cables (at the onshore end), aiming at both cable
reactive compensation and output voltage support and
reactive control. It is worth to outline that FACTS devices
have a specific potential for application in different Indian
systems.
In India SVC and STATCON are under
consideration for static and dynamic applications, while
series and combined controllers might be very useful to
relieve congestions in different parts of the system both at
internal and cross-border level. The different types of
FACTS devices might be very effective to manage active
and reactive power flow control, voltage regulation and
system stability control. SVC and series controllers are
under consideration, especially for wind integration and
power flow control issues [8]. Also devices like shunt
controllers and SSSC are under study [7]. Also in India,
series and combined devices may be also very effective for
solving several network issues.
In general, the different types of series and
combined FACTS devices could provide more
effective solutions to the Indian issues on several cross-
border ties than the PSTs (Phase Shifting Transformers)
there installed actually do.
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)
B. Further potential HVDC applications in India
There exist several full HVDC links in the Indian power
system of ENTSO-E, mainly used for long submarine ties
and/or asynchronous systems interconnections. There is
currently also an installation of B2B HVDC. Further
asynchronous interconnections of both HVDC types, CSC
and VSC, are expected at pan-Indian level in a short-
midterm horizon (as full or B2B HVDC), [8]. In this
sense, the interconnection project linking in India via
HVAC and B2B CSC-HVDC assumes a strategic role being
the first link between the still asynchronized Continental
and Baltic systems [8]. In the medium
term further interconnections between the Continental
Indian systems via full or B2B HVDC are also expected.
The fast development of VSC-
HVDC is presently increasingly expanding the potential
fields of application of HVDC technology in India
comprising also urban in-feed, offshore RES connection and
integration, multi-terminal applications. Concerning the
latter, although there are currently just very few multi-
terminal HVDC (MTDC) installations in operation
worldwide (in Europe the only one is the Sardinia-Corsica-
Italian peninsula link), the demand for a MTDC system
frequently arises among TSOs. This is mainly driven by
the operational advantages in terms of bulk power
transmission which they have gained from
conventional point-to-point HVDC installations and
which they expect to come along with the
implementation of MTDC. In addition, the recent push for
increasing the share of RES in the power generation mix
leads to an increased number of offshore wind parks in
operation, under construction or being planned. The
consequence is an increased amount of power generation far
away from the load centers. A multi-terminal HVDC system
could be then a solution for picking up offshore generated
power, for transmitting it to the mainland and for feeding it
into the power grid.
In this respect, there is a very strong potential for
HVDC offshore grids development in India [8], VSC-
HVDC can be very useful for the connection of remote
offshore wind farms to the main power grid since VSC-
HVDC does not depend on a specified ESCR (Effective
Short Circuit Ratio) or on reactive power support at the
connection points in order to perform a reliable
commutation process. VSC-HVDC can be then the key
technology for building offshore grids. Furthermore, the
independency of reactive power support enables VSC-
HVDC to perform a black start which may help TSOs to re-
energize network sections that suffered from a system
blackout. VSC-HVDC can provide additional capacity for
the point-to-point power transmission over short- to
medium-long distances within a power grid while also
providing reactive power support at its terminals. This
contributes to power system stability and frees up
transmission capacity on neighbouring lines that was
formerly occupied by reactive power transmission. In
combination with a wide-area monitoring system, the fast
modulation of power injection at the HVDC terminals can
be also used to damp power oscillations within the power
grid and to assure system stability.
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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
Further potential applications of HVDC in
India in the short-medium term horizon refer to the
possibility of embedding HVDC lines into the meshed AC
system, either by replacing existing HVAC with HVDC
devices or by building HVDC links ex novo.
In fact, converting an HVAC overhead line to
HVDC constitutes an interesting option for the increase of
transmission capacity due to the increased power density for
a given width of right-of-way that can be obtained from an
HVDC transmission circuit compared to a conventional
HVAC transmission circuit [9]. For the conversion of the
line, the suitability of the tower geometry and the tower
configuration have to be determined, especially with respect
to tower cross arm geometry, tower statics, insulator
assemblies and conductor configuration. Generally, no
change in the tower construction, the foundations and in the
conductors is accepted since these major modifications
would lead to high investments which would make the
conversion economically unfavorable compared to the
replacement of the complete line. In any case, insulators
need to be changed when converting from HVAC to HVDC
as well as additional space needs to be allocated within or at
least in the vicinity of the existing substations in order to
accommodate the HVDC converters. This leads to limit
investment costs and a project execution time within the
medium-term horizon, bringing also advantages in terms of
reduced environmental impact by HVDC. In the case of
bulk power point-to-point transmission (>1500 MW), the
choice of which HVDC technology to apply is today
limited to CSC-HVDC as the currently available power
ratings of VSC-HVDC are still limited. Furthermore, in case
of CSC-HVDC, if the ESCR of both considered network
nodes assumes a low level (lower than 2.0), the grid needs
first to be reinforced. However, in the case of power
transmission lower than 1100 MW, VSC- HVDC already
constitutes a feasible option which provides higher benefits
in both environmental impact and network controllability.
The future technological developments of VSC-HVDC
towards increased power ratings may allow for considering
VSC-HVDC as another option for bulk power transport.
The planned Maharashtra interconnection line is a
clear example where the implementation of a VSC-HVDC
interconnection is chosen as a technically and
environmentally feasible solution [8]. The aim is to address
cross-border congestions (frequently occurring in both
directions), enhancing the net transfer capacity and avoiding
overloading of the transmission line, with a clear
environmental advantage over conventional HVAC
transmission. The exploitation of VSC-HVDC features is
also expected by the further deployment of this technology
for the planned Maharashtra interconnection line as well as
for the link under construction in Maharashtra and other one
or two project.(Power Grid Company project) [8].
Finally, possible medium-long term (2030 and also
beyond) applications of HVDC refer to the ambitious
projects of transport of huge energy produced by Gujarat
solar power plants to the Indian power system, in the frame
of DESERTEC Initiative [5]. This would be a challenging
move towards the realization of the vision of a pan-Indian
(mixed HVAC and HVDC) super grid [8].
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)
VI. CONCLUSIONS
The present paper investigates the potential role that FACTS
and HVDC may play towards the development of the future
pan-Indian transmission system. In fact, FACTS and HVDC
elements may provide Indian TSOs with effective solutions
to the several criticalities they encounter nowadays in their
grid planning processes. Among these criticalities, one can
refer to intra- and inter-zonal congestions, RES integration,
and power controllability. Particular attention is paid to
different specific technical, economic and environmental
features of FACTS and HVDC that have to be taken into
account in a transmission expansion plan. It has to be said,
however, that some other aspects (related e.g. to components
protection and reliability) are not in the scope of the present
paper. These will have to be considered in the respective
application of these power electronics-based technologies,
also in dependence on local network conditions, topology
etc. Finally, it has to be noted that in a highly meshed
network, as the Indian one, if HVDC and FACTS become
extensively deployed, they will deliver real benefits only
when subjected to a coordinated and hierarchical control.
These aspects have been investigated in [10].
A. Energy Resources Map
Total hydro energy potential ≈ 150GW mostly in the
northern and eastern hilly regions.
Largest reserves of coal in the world (approx. 267
bn. Tones) mostly concentrated in Central & Eastern Part of
India.
Fig. 1: Renewable Power Scenario
1) Conducive policy environment, regulatory framework,
fiscal & financial incentives have accelerated
penetration of renewable energy (RE) generation.
2) Share of Renewable capacity increased from 2%
(2002) to 12% (2013) over the last decade.
3) Envisaged capacity addition through renewable is
about 30-40 GW in 12th Plan (2012-17) period.
4) Generation characterized by intermittency and
variability requires massive transmission network and
control infrastructure to integrate into Grid.
B. LOCATIONS IN INDIA & MAP
Part of the power from the 3000 MW coal-based thermal
power Rihand complex in Uttar Pradesh is carried by the
Rihand-Delhi HVDC bipolar transmission link, which has a
rated capacity of 1500 MW at ±500 kV DC. Some of the
power is transmitted via the existing parallel 400 kV AC
lines.
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 The Role of Facts and HVDC in Development of an Efficient Electrical Power Transmission System in India-Prospects & Challenges
Fig. 2: 1200kV Tower Height: 55 m, Weight: 96 MT
Rihand-Delhi HVDC Transmission, India
Fig. 3: The Rihand-Delhi HVDC
Fig. 4: Power Grid Corporation of India
The basic aim of the HVDC link is to transmit the
Rihand power efficiently to the Northern Region, meeting
urgent needs in the area. There were several reasons why
choosing HVDC instead of 400 kV AC. The most important
ones were better overall economy, halved right-of-way
requirements, lower transmission losses and better stability
and controllability. The Rihand-Delhi HVDC transmission
is the first commercial long-distance HVDC link in India.
The two converter stations in Rihand and Dadri,
outside Delhi, were supplied jointly by ABB and Bharat
Heavy Electricals Limited, a government of India
undertaking. The transmission was, which was
commissioned in 1990, is owned by Power Grid Corporation
of India.
C. Total Investment Required
Investment envisaged in12
Transmission: Rs. 1,80,000 Cr.(US $ 33Bn)
Distribution: Rs. 3,06,000 Cr.
(IJSRD/Vol. 1/Issue 10/2013/0010)
The first HVDC transmission to Delhi.
VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research leading to these results has received
funding from the Indian Company Power Grid’s Programm
under Company and Indian Government’s Combine Project
in Maharashtra.
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